James Kelly
UGC Hub

Image source, Matt Woolford

Matt Woolford, 25, from Reading, suffered a life-threatening meningococcaemia infection when he was at university.

Following on from news of the Kent outbreak today, Woolford tells the BBC "more really needs to be done".

"From the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, I was sent back to my university halls prematurely, confused and still severely ill resulting in the UKHSA having to contact my flatmates," he explains.

"I was told that these outbreaks happen regularly at universities.

"I then asked about vaccines. Most people my age have their MenACWY vaccine. None have been given MenB [because of] cost effectiveness and so the NHS says they will only give this out to young children.

"That is simply not good enough, and more people will die the longer awareness isn’t raised, and people aren’t vaccinated."

Image source, PA Media

As we've been reporting, people have been queuing throughout the day at the University of Kent to collect antibiotics.

A mix of ages and young families with buggies have been among those lining up for medicine there, the Press Association reports.

Dan Turner brought his two children, aged one and two years old, and partner to get antibiotics after calling NHS advice line 111 on Monday afternoon.

The 40-year-old says his stepdaughter's sister had been rushed to hospital with a suspected case of meningitis and the family were told to get checked out.

"Better to be safe than sorry," he says.

Some waiting in line were seen wearing masks, carrying shopping bags, while others could be seen sharing vapes elsewhere, PA reported.

Image source, PA Media

NHS Kent and Medway says it is giving free antibiotics to people who visited a Canterbury nightclub on three particular days in March.

It says that more emergency antibiotics are available for "people who visited Club Chemistry on March 5, 6 and 7". This is the Canterbury nightclub that earlier said it was closing until it receives further advice from UKHSA.

In comments made earlier to the Press Association, the nightclub's owner Louise Jones-Roberts said that they had been "told somebody was in our club at the weekend who has since been diagnosed with meningitis".

As a precautionary measure, the antibiotic tablets are being offered to people who do not have symptoms and can be accessed at four temporary clinics, the NHS says.

People who live on the University of Kent campus in Canterbury are also eligible, as well as close household contacts of cases who have been identified by UKHSA or who self-identify as having contact with a confirmed case.

The NHS Kent and Medway website has more information on where the clinics are located, external and their opening times.

James Kelly
UGC Hub

Emily Smith, 49, is the mother of a 13-year-old at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury - it earlier confirmed that a student in Year 13 has been admitted to hospital with meningitis.

"I'm concerned and feel awful for the families involved, it's terrible," she says.

She says her son was "very anxious going in, because obviously it was on the grapevine but school weren't in the position to confirm it, I assume."

"It is just a frightening time for everybody and I think it's the rapidity of it as well that's frightening."

We can now bring you some more images from the University of Kent.

These pictures, obtained by the BBC, show health professionals at the university in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak - transferring people to hospital and wearing protective clothing.

Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford has confirmed that one of its Year 13 students has meningitis. This follows an earlier update from the school, in which it said a pupil had been admitted to hospital with a suspected case.

"We have now been informed that the diagnosis has been confirmed, and the student is receiving appropriate hospital treatment," says a statement from the headteacher.

"Our thoughts are with them and their family at this difficult time."

The school adds that it is in close contact with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which has confirmed that "the wider school community does not require any additional measures beyond being vigilant for symptoms".

"The school will continue to operate as normal unless UKHSA advises otherwise," it says.

Why is the MenB vaccine not given to teenagers in the UK?published at 17:36 GMT

17:36 GMT

Philippa Roxby
Health reporter, BBC News

It's down to how effective that vaccine is seen to be in that age group.

Research suggests the MenB vaccine doesn't influence transmission of the infection from one person to another, it doesn't target against all the different B bacteria strains and doesn't protect for particularly long either.

For all those reasons, and despite campaigns by charities to have it introduced, UK vaccine experts have concluded that the MenB vaccine isn't cost effective on the NHS for adolescents.

Babies are offered the MenB vaccine and given three doses in the first year of life.

That's because young babies are more likely to get invasive infections more often than other age groups, and their bodies are less likely to be able to fight them off, experts say.

Teenagers are currently offered the MenACWY vaccine, which has reduced the number of young people getting ill from meningitis and spreading those bugs.

But uptake of that vaccine is still not where it was before the pandemic - about 73% of 13-year-olds were vaccinated last year in England. Among 14 year olds, uptake was 75%.

A grammar school for boys confirms one of its Year 13 students has been admitted to hospital with meningitis.

"Our thoughts are with him and his family during this difficult time, and we hope for a speedy recovery," the headmaster of the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys says in a letter seen by the BBC.

He acknowledges the situation can be "worrying" but adds that the school will remain open tomorrow as the risk of contagion "is low".

Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys is the second school to confirm a case of meningitis after Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Faversham, whose student - identified as Juliette - died.

Earlier, Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford said one of its Year 13 pupils is currently in hospital with suspected meningitis. The University of Kent announced yesterday a 21-year-old student had died after becoming infected.

Malu Cursino
Live reporter

Isabel Kenny, a fourth year student at the University of Kent, recalls hearing about the meningitis outbreak on the news before emails from the university started coming in.

That's when her friends started texting in group chats, getting in touch with each other. "Everyone [was] getting quite nervous really," she tells the BBC.

The 21-year-old was notified she'd been in contact with someone who has meningitis, but she doesn't know who.

"It's a girl in my dance class, but we weren't told who it is, which I think is fair enough. It feels a bit weird not knowing who it is, it's a bit nerve-wracking, but I actually think it'd make me more nervous if I did know who it was. I'm wishing the best for her," Kenny explains.

As she was walking up to campus this morning to get her dose of antibiotics, Kenny saw several of her peers packed up and heading home.

"Everybody is going home ... I saw so many students with suitcases going towards the train station."

Asked if that changes her plans, Kenny says she'd prefer to wait things out before making a decision. "I'd rather just wait a few more days to make sure I don't have meningitis before going home to my family, because I don't want to make them sick."

Image source, Isabel Kenny

Oliver Whitfield-Miocic
BBC South East

People in Faversham, where one sixth-form pupil is confirmed dead from meningitis, say they feel concerned about the outbreak.

"It is quite worrying," one woman tells the BBC. "It's a very serious disease."

She adds that her heart goes out to the family of the Year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar who has died.

"It is scary," another woman with her children tells the BBC. "[As a parent], I feel sick to my stomach."

"Sadly, these things come down in cycles, and it's our turn," adds one man in the town.

"I don't know that there's much we can do about it, except now that we're aware of it, we could be more vigilant and be more careful with our hygiene," he continues.

The University of Kent's student union says they are cancelling events and shutting venues following the death of a student from meningitis.

"While public health guidance has not advised venues to close at this time, we feel it is the responsible and caring thing to do to help protect our student community and our guests," says a spokesperson.

They add that Woody's - a bar and restaurant on campus - will remain open for the "time being".

However, the spokesperson says a St Patrick's Day event will not go ahead, while other student events, including Vensday, ONDA and Give it a Go have also been cancelled.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and further updates will be shared shortly," says the spokesperson. "Kent is a community of people who care for each other.

"Please lean on that during this difficult time and make sure we are all looking after one another."

Gemma Williams contracted meningitis when she was six days old. Now aged 32, she tells the BBC that contracting the illness has had "a lifelong impact".

"I've got an acquired brain injury as a result, which affects my memory - mainly short term," she says.

Gemma also has cerebral palsy, meaning her left arm is shorter than her right: "I have to modify a lot of everyday tasks and the house is modified so i can reach items."

"Terrifying is the word", says Gemma's mother, Karen.

She explains how she sought medical advice as Gemma was sleeping all the time, but was told not to worry.

"Gemma really survived because of my gut instinct", Karen says. "She didn't have a lot of the signs and symptoms, no rash, no reaction to light, no vomiting."

After a visit from a GP, they rushed Gemma to hospital where she stayed for eight weeks. Gemma wasn't predicted to survive, until she was put on a drug trial.

The next question comes from a student at the University of Kent. He asks why the disease is spreading now.

Dr Tom Nutt from Meningitis Now says there's a "tragic randomness" and unpredictability to meningitis outbreaks.

"There's a necessary vigilance that's required all the time," he says. The expert notes that it's important for students to look out for one another.

"Be careful, because meningitis is so fast-acting, it's really important that if anyone is feeling unwell to let your flatmates know, let your next-door neighbour know" so they can keep an eye on you, he says.

Turning back to Meningitis Now chief executive Dr Tom Nott, he explains it is "highly unlikely" any teenagers or adults will have had the specific vaccination against Meningitis B unless they had opted to do it privately.

Parents can find out if children are up to date with vaccines through the NHS app or by phoning their GP - for young adults over the age of 18 they will need to do so themselves, he says.

Nutt adds that the NHS immunisation schedule doesn't protect against all forms of meningitis - with Meningitis B being the "big gap" for the age group of those affected by this outbreak.

He says as an organisation they would encourage people to make an "informed choice" about considering whether to get it privately, but adds it's "not cheap" . He says Meningitis Now would like the government to consider putting in a vaccination programme for this.

The specific strain of meningitis in this outbreak has not yet been identified.

The BBC's health editor, Hugh Pym, explains that this infection can be spread through "close personal contact" in situations such as crowded environments or close living arrangements - and can be spread by people who are not presenting with symptoms.

He adds that it is not as infectious as illnesses like flu or Covid - but that it can take a turn for the worse "really quickly".

This is why, Pym continues, if you have any of the symptoms it's really important to seek medical advice as quickly as possible.

Although babies are now vaccinated against Meningitis B and C, Dr Ellie Cannon says that it's "very possible" that people who are teenagers, or young people at university "were not vaccinated for Meningitis B because that was not on the schedule when those young adults were babies".

The exception would be if they were opted into the vaccine on private healthcare, she says.

Many people won't realise that other vaccines routinely given to children - such as measles, mumps and rebella (MMR) or pneumococcal - also offer protection because those illnesses can cause meningitis too.

Cannon adds that the MenACWY vaccine is routinely given in school, but "the concern right now" is about young adults not having had Meningitis B vaccines and that is what parents should be checking.

The specific strain of meningitis in this outbreak has not yet been identified.

Helping us understand how serious meningitis is, Dr Tom Nutt explains that it causes "devastation when it strikes".

Of those infected by bacterial meningitis "around one in 10 will die", he says, adding it's not unusual for people to die within 24 hours or less.

"It causes untold pain and devastation to families," he says, adding there is "something particularly nasty about this disease".

Throughout the morning, you've been sending us your questions on meningitis and the current outbreak.

On hand to answer them are Dr Ellie Cannon, a GP, Dr Tom Nutt, the chief executive of Meningitis Now, and the BBC's health editor Hugh Pym.

You can watch live at the top of the page - and we'll bring you updates here.

Simon Jones
Reporting from Canterbury, BBC South East Today

Students and staff here at the University of Kent are waiting for medicine and answers.

People started queuing up on campus for antibiotics at around 09:00 GMT.

Hundreds have since come through.

There is no sign of the queue getting any smaller. In fact, it appears to have grown during the course of the afternoon.

People are also waiting patiently for more information.

One man says that his sister, just yesterday, was taken to hospital with suspected meningitis.

Other students say they were sharing accommodation with people who have been diagnosed with the illness as well.

Some people don't think they've come into contact with anyone, but they want that reassurance. They do not feel safe.

You can read an update from the university in our last post.